Gabriel and Troy (Simile)
"In juxtaposition with Troy, Gabriel had a melancholy tendency to look like a candle beside gas." (211)
This simile is used to make a comparison between Gabriel and Troy and to reflect on the difference between the two characters. When Hardy wrote his novel, gas was a relatively new technology that allowed for artificial light and allowed for people to no longer be reliant on the candles that had formerly been their only light source. Gas therefore had the advantage of being an exciting novelty, and also shining brighter than a candle flame. Therefore, the comparison highlights how upon first impression, Troy seems more handsome, modern, and attractive than Gabriel. Gabriel still does cast a light, but because he is much more humble and modest than Troy, he does not attract the same attention to himself.
Bathsheba's Figure (Simile)
"When Bathsheba’s figure shone upon the farmer’s eyes, it lighted him up as a little moon lights up a great tower." (106)
This simile describes Boldwood’s reaction to seeing Bathsheba after he has started to fall in love with her. The simile describes how her appearance makes him excited and animated, and it also highlights the difference in status and age between the two. Bathsheba is young, small in stature, and a new presence in the community, all of which help to explain why she might be compared to “a little moon.” Boldwood is much older, more established, and a powerful presence in the town, leading to a comparison with a stately and majestic “old tower.” At the same time, just as the moon’s presence or absence controls whether it is light or dark, Bathsheba wields a great deal of power over Boldwood.
Bathsheba's Appearance at the Corn Market (Simile)
“her instinct on two or three occasions was to merely walk as a queen among these gods of the fallow, like a little sister of a little Jove.” (81)
When Bathsheba realizes that people are admiring her on the first day she appears publicly at the corn market, she feels proud and confident. This similar compares her first to a queen and then to a goddess; Jove (also known as Jupiter or Zeus) was traditionally considered the king of the Olympian gods. The simile reflects how Bathsheba’s beauty, charisma, and confidence lead her to stand out, especially in a somewhat small and isolated community. At the same time, the simile shows her tendency to be somewhat arrogant and think that she is better than other people.
Nature (Simile)
“By one of those whimsical coincidences in which Nature, like a busy mother, seems to spare a moment from her unremitting labors to turn and make her children smile.” (14)
This simile compares a chance occurrence to a mother who still playfully and lovingly engages with her children even when she has a lot to do. In some ways, this simile summarizes the benevolent relationship that Hardy celebrates between humans and the natural world. While a lot of that relationship, such as harvesting crops and tending to animals, is functional and requires hard work, the natural world still offers many moments of beauty and small pleasures. While Hardy doesn’t hide that life on a farm can be challenging, he also makes the point that it allows for rhythms of celebration, community, and falling in love. In some ways, living close to nature allows for these pleasures to be integrated into life in a way that a more industrialized and urban life would not.
Wrinkles (Simile)
“divergent wrinkles appeared round them, extending upon his countenance like the rays in a rudimentary sketch of the rising sun.” (3)
This simile is used to describe Gabriel’s face when he is first introduced as a character. The comparison of the wrinkles on his face to the rays of the rising sun hints at Gabriel’s optimistic and warm personality. The fact that Gabriel’s features are compared to a natural occurrence also sets up the way in which, throughout the novel, he will be shown to be close to the natural world and in harmony with it. Finally, the sun’s rays are life-giving and vital for crops to grow and nature to flourish; in a similar way, Gabriel’s attentive labor will be shown to be necessary in order for the farm and community to prosper around him.
